dj snow Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 After Castles 'n Coasters, it was time to head south to Santa's: A Christmas Theme Park. The website promises "a magical world of glittering lights, breathtaking rides, delicious food and engaging performances." I'm not sure I would quite go that far in describing it. In reality, Santa's is a way for Ray Cammack Shows to extend the use of their rides for a bit by setting up their equipment in a spot that's close to home. I expected a fair-midway type of experience, and that's what I got. Finally, it was time to head out, my heart filled with the spirit of Christmas. I do hope he remembers! Santa eats the letters from all the little children. Santa's Mailbox awaits its letters. The park offers its guests the opportunity to drop off their notes to Santa. This being after Christmas and all, I'm sure they keep the new submissions on file for delivery to Santa next year. Oh no, what happened? I found this car from the Rio Grande train hidden behind a tent. Here it is, the Rio Grande train! (And no, the mountains aren't on fire, it's just some cool sunset special effects.) In a nod to our Jewish friends, the park also had this giant menorah on display. They had all the "candles" lit, though, which should not have been the case on this night. And of course, no menorah display is complete without an adjacent Christmas tree. Stab a kid, win a prize! Part of the free entertainment was a circus which featured this lady who would dangle from her hair while twirling ribbons... and smiling! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this. It's as if someone went into the future, and brought this back with them. Behold, the Space Train 2000. Santa's Hot Spot. There's the setup, you write the punchline. It's the Fighter! Apparently these are very rare. It's definitely an interesting ride. I'd go on it again. And what's this? And here's the obligatory "midway from the Ferris wheel" shot. That's I-10 to the right. As you can see, the park's laid out in a linear fashion. The Christmas tree is about the halfway point, so it may really be a mile walk to get back this far! A highlight of the midway was this spinning coaster, called "Spinning Coaster." Here it is, the Big... er, Grand Wheel. I think the Fabbri Mega Drop is a better-looking ride than the A.R.M./Larson one. They also had a Fabbri Mega Drop. They had a Sartori Techno Jump! A great ride, don't miss it if you see one. Just be sure that it's a Sartori. Clown Grill: The Experience And here it is, the biggest Christmas tree in the U.S., according to the park map. Somehow I remember the one at Rockefeller Center being a bit larger. It's the Elephantiasis Cowboy! They had a number of "free" shows lined up and down both sides of the midway, including a dog show, a tiger show, a juggling act and this magic show. Note the holiday costuming. One of the main reasons I wanted to visit: the Santa's Aliens display. This should give you an idea of the food & beverage pricing inside. According to the sign, it's a one-mile walk from the front of the park to the Big Wheel. Too bad they don't rent motorized scooters. Prepare to enter Santa's World! The ticket booths are lined up in a neat row, and Inflatable Walkaround Santa is on hand to greet (and/or frighten) the kids. Approaching the entrance, I could tell that I was about to be swept away into a winter wonderland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 By God, I think he's found the set of the next Rob Zombie movie--"O Bloody Night: A House of 1,000 Corpses Christmas." There used to be this creepy Christmas attraction off US 101 north of Santa Barbara, Calif. When I was a student at Cal Poly, it was rumored to be the HQ of a Satanic cult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trustkill22 Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 KILLER TR. That place looks dope. It really looked like a magical world with breath taking rides and delicious foods. I wish I could've been there with you because it looked like you had a magical time. P.S I asked for that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollermonkey Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 If I knew how to include one of your photos in a quote, I'd have the lady dangling by her hair with the reply: She's not smiling, that's just her face being pulled off by the tension on the back of her head! Chris B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Great TR dude, but $3 for a bottle of Coke? That's almost as expensive as Disneyland! :shock: Even a Brit with a limited knowledge of relative costs in dollars knows that is not cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterCrazy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Thanks for posting the cool Photo TR! I would never pay $3 for a bottle of coke unless I was dieing of thirst! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Thanks for posting the cool Photo TR! I would never pay $3 for a bottle of coke unless I was dieing of thirst! The most I've ever paid is about 2 Euros in Disneyland Paris, and at the time I was dieing of thirst and the machine had nothing left apart from that! But that's still cheaper than $3 is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougr Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Psst! If you exit Knott's from the main entrance, as you head south under Ghost Rider, look to the right-Knott's employment office. There's a Coke machine there that had bottles for $1.50 in 2004! 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Great TR dude, but $3 for a bottle of Coke? That's almost as expensive as Disneyland! :shock: Actually Tom, these are more expensive than the ones at DLR. The ones at DLR are $2.75. Brent "I thought I would never find a park with something more expensive than Disney" Shenton 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J man Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Wow. This park looks horrible. I'm glad I didn't go to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hattuchili Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Nice Photo TR, but $ 3.- for a coke? That really sucks! --Sören Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianojohn Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 WOW....I guess I will skip all the holiday crap here in Orlando and go for the REAL thing next year! Amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj snow Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 Wow. This park looks horrible. I'm glad I didn't go to it. I wouldn't call it horrible, but I don't think it really lives up to ads' promises. It's good as fair midways go, but I really don't think it falls into the generally accepted definition of "theme park." If you went to the Arizona State Fair, chances are there's nothing new for you to see here, other than the Christmas displays, and I don't think those are worth the price of admission. But if you missed out on the rides at the State Fair, or just want to get one last shot at your favorite rides before next fall, then I'd say it's worth a trip. So, in summary: Go expecting a fair midway, and you'll be satisfied. If you're expecting a magical theme park, you may be disappointed. You still have time to see it for yourself, as Santa's is open through January 8. Tickets are $23, pay-one-price only, and it's $5 to park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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